Fantasy Football Addict’s Select XI (GW-1)

We’re finally here, are you ready? Well you better be because all the footballing brilliance is about to start and we’re lucky enough to be a part of it. That’s one of the main reasons we all play fantasy football, it brings us that bit closer to the action and we all want to be as close as we can.

So who’s going to be the star this season? Can Van Gaal return United to the top echelons? Will Mourinho deliver Chelsea another title? Can any of the promoted teams stay up? There are so many questions but don’t worry, we’ll have the answers soon enough.

Looking ahead to the weekend, United kick 2014/15 off with a home game against Swansea whilst Chelsea end the first gameweek on Monday night when they face Burnley away. In between, we’ve got a number of great matches to look forward to like Arsenal vs Crystal Palace (Sat 5.30pm) and Liverpool vs Southampton (Sun 1.30pm).

If you’re new to Fantasy Football Addict, this is our weekly segment where we choose 11 players in a valid formation to enter our Fantasy Football Addict Select XI for the upcoming gameweek. We look into the fixtures and form to see which players are most likely to score high.

So without further ado, here is our selection for the 1st gameweek of the season:

Goalkeeper

Asmir BEGOVIC [AVL(H), 5.0m] – Begovic kicks off a brand new season of Select XI looking to improve on the 9 clean sheets he picked up in 2013/14. First up, he faces a Villa side currently in ownership limbo. With Lerner unwilling to splash the cash, Villa have been shopping at the bargain basement and Lambert is going to have to his work cut out. Stoke will be targeting the victory where Begovic might just pick up the 6 clean sheet points.

Defenders

Steven CAULKER [HUL(H), 5.0m] – Signing for QPR, Caulker arrives to help Harry make Loftus Road a defensive fortress. He’ll be keen to impress in his first game in front of the home crowd and the atmosphere should be lively. With Long leaving for Southampton, Hull have lost a hardworking attacker and that’ll be good news to Caulker’s ears.

Gary CAHILL [BUR(A), 6.5m] – With Mourinho back, Chelsea were rock solid defensively last season and we’re expecting more of the same this time around. For this reason, many pundits are backing Chelsea to secure the title. It’s too uncertain for us to back a team at this stage but they are sure to rack up the clean sheets, starting at Turf Moor.

Kieran GIBBS [CPL(H), 5.5m] – Arsenal were quite convincing in their win over City in the Community Shield and they’ll take great confidence from the match. They kick things off at home against a Palace side reeling from the loss of Pulis, giving Gibbs a strong chance of a clean sheet, whilst he’ll also be expected to push up when he gets the chance.

Midfielders

Eden HAZARD [BUR(A), 10.0m] – Big things are expected once more of Hazard; he was Chelsea’s best attacker last season and is sure to play a massive role this time round as they look to push on. With Lampard out of the picture, he’ll have penalty duties and in Costa he has a striker capable of latching onto any through balls to tuck home assists. At 10m, he’s a little pricey but Hazard definitely has the talent to deliver.

Raheem STERLING [SOT(H), 8.5m] – Another young star is Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling. A rare bright spark for England in the World Cup, Sterling has developed considerably over the last 2 seasons and at the young age of 19, he’s going to be around for a long time. He’s comfortable in a number of positions and has the skill to skip past players. With Suarez gone, we’re backing Sterling to help carry the weight and return plenty of goals and assists this season.

Alexis SANCHEZ [CPL(H), 10.5m] – It was a tricky call choosing between Sanchez and Ramsey but we’ve plumped for the Chilean with no budget in mind. He’s got bags of pace and as we saw in the World Cup can be deadly with the ball at his feet. We’ve seen in the past how Walcott has reaped the benefits of having an Arsenal midfield supporting him and we expect Sanchez to be diving in behind the opposition defence to snaffle through balls.

Juan MATA [SWA(H), 9.0m] – United may have defensive concerns with a number of players out but their new formation is ideal for Mata. He returns to his favoured position in the middle and when Van Persie returns, they will be part of a deadly trio. We’re expecting United to go on the offensive against Swansea to relieve pressure on an inexperienced backline and Mata is key to the gameplan.

Strikers

Diego COSTA [BUR(A), 10.5m] – Costa has taken little time to settle at Chelsea and he could be in for a big season as long as he stays fit. Mourinho’s been waiting a long time for his man and now that he’s got him, we’re expecting big things from the Spaniard. Costa’s been slotting the goals away in pre-season and could be set for a lively start away at Burnley on Monday night.

Daniel STURRIDGE [SOT(H), 11.5m] – Another man charged with the task of replacing Suarez’s influence is Sturridge who himself had an excellent season in 2013/14. With 22 goals and 8 assists, he just missed out on 200 points. Without Suarez, he’s the main striker now and if he hits the ground running, he could be challenging for top scorer this season.

Wayne ROONEY (C)[SWA(H), 10.5m] – Given the United captaincy, Rooney has looked hungry and rejuvenated in pre-season, scoring regularly. With a 45% ownership in the game, it’s clear a lot of managers are backing the United man and whilst RVP remains touch and go, Rooney is the safe (and cheaper) option. Despite the injury crisis at United, Rooney should lead them to victory in front of their home fans.